The Manchester United manager paid a special visit to the hospice to join the creator of the replica, Paul Singer, 37, last week.

He added his name to the signatures of the other players which are already on the replica. But it was only a chance meeting between Fergie and Paul's wife Catherine, 32, which secured the signature.

Paul said: "It was a fluke that my wife, who works on the check-in desks at Manchester Airport, saw Alex Ferguson on his way to Glasgow.

"She stopped him and told him that I needed to speak to him about putting his signature on the replica.

"He said he'd read lot about it. Then he said if the replica was going to be at Francis House the following night he'd be there to sign it.

"When he saw it he was amazed and said it was fantastic. He asked me how long it took and signed his name - it was the icing on the cake."

According to Paul, visitors' jaws dropped later when the stadium was installed at the museum this week after already winning the admiration of the players.

Now punters could be willing to pay in excess of £10,000 for the miniature marvel, currently on display at the Old Trafford Museum. The model, which is a replica in every detail, will be auctioned on June 14.